Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | Continuing Education Division
Course offerings
Visit our Registration Page and select the desired program. From there, you will be required to create a username and password to register.
• If you are a permanent resident looking to learn French, please see the French for Immigrants page for more information on our CLIC program, funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
• If you are a civil servant looking to learn French, please see the French Program for Civil Servants page for information on that program.
• If you are a healthcare employee looking to learn French, please contact Renée Beaudry at Santé en français (rbeaudry2@santeenfrancais.com).
Choose Beginner 1 (French) or Nivel 1 (Spanish) if you do not know any French/Spanish.
Choose Unknown level if you know some French/Spanish.
If you choose Unknown level, you will be able to schedule a placement interview once the registration process is complete and you have clicked ‘submit’ after entering your credit card payment information. The placement interview link will also be included in the confirmation email sent after you have completed the registration process. An instructor will call you at the time you have chosen.
Returning students who are unsure of their level can also request a placement interview by choosing “Unknown level”.
Note: A placement interview will not be conducted unless you have:
a. registered and paid for a course, and
b. scheduled your placement interview.
Courses will only be offered if enrollment is sufficient.
We will confirm your registration by email by the end of the day on the Thursday prior to the first scheduled class. Please check your inbox and junk mail folders and add us to your contact list.
It is best to register as soon as possible, as course confirmations are based on the number of learners registered by the deadline.
USB reserves the right to cancel courses or levels when enrollment is insufficient. If the course you have requested is cancelled, we will contact you to discuss any other options that may be available to you.
A full refund will be issued if a course is cancelled or if USB cannot accommodate your choice of time as indicated on the registration form.
We offer private lessons for learners whose schedule or learning objectives do not match our regular group classes, for those who want extra support while taking a course, or for those who simply prefer a one-to-one learning experience.
For more information, please see this information sheet or contact Marina Jones at mjones@ustboniface.ca.
I am having trouble registering
You will be required to create a NEW username and a NEW password if you are a returning client and unable to log in with your original username and password. You can use the same email address that you used previously, but create a new username and password.
Steps to follow:
1. Once you are on the main registration page, it will ask for your username and password. Click the blue button: Ouvrir une session ou créer un compte / Log in to start or create an account
2. Then click: Création de compte / New user registration
3. Please create a new username and a new password, but use the same email address as before.
4. After completing the above steps, you will be able to proceed to the registration form to complete enrollment. Please ensure you click the Submit button after entering your payment options.
Note: Once you have created your new username and new password, please proceed with the course registration right away. If too much time passes before you are ready to fill out the registration form, our system may not allow you to log in and you may be required to repeat steps 1-3 above.
Please contact us at 204-235-4400 or dep@ustboniface.ca and we will be happy to help you.
Course payment
The course fee includes all applicable taxes, as well as the student handbook or other course material, unless indicated otherwise.
If you must withdraw from a course, your fees will be refunded (minus the cost of your handbook and a $40 administration fee), provided you notify us before the second class*. Reimbursement will be provided by direct deposit through TelPay. A full refund will only be issued if a course is cancelled or if USB cannot accommodate your choice of time as indicated on the registration form.
*Exceptions:
Mini-FIT: Please see our Refund Policy.
FIT: Please see our Refund Policy.
Franséjour: Please see our Refund Policy.
Contact our Finance Department at finances@ustboniface.ca or call 204-237-1818, ext. 309. If your participation in this course is funded subsidized by another organization, please make your request directly to the organization in question.
You need to provide a letter of approval from your supervisor/manager/HR Department, indicating whether they would like to be invoiced or to pay by credit card. Please send an email to DEP@ustboniface.ca for further information. See this Sample letter for the information to be included in your letter of approval.
If you have already registered and paid online and require a receipt for reimbursement by your employer, please communicate with the Finance Department (finances@ustboniface.ca) to request a receipt for your course.
I want to know more about placement tests
Unsure which level to register for? We offer placement interviews for French and Spanish classes. Once you have scheduled your interview, an assessor will telephone you for a short chat (10-15 minutes) to determine your level.
IMPORTANT: If you already know your level, it is not necessary to schedule a placement interview. When registering, simply select your level.
Steps for scheduling a placement interview:
- Register for one of our French or Spanish programs. Select Unknown Level when completing the online registration form.
- Check your registration confirmation email. Once your registration is completed, paid for and submitted, you will receive a confirmation email with a placement interview link. Click on the link and an online calendar will appear.
- Book your placement interview by selecting a date and time from the available options.
- Be ready for a call from our assessor on your chosen date and time.
IMPORTANT: A placement interview will ONLY be conducted once you have registered (by selecting Unknown Level), paid for your course and booked your placement interview.
Please do not wait to schedule your placement interview! We strongly encourage you to book it as soon as possible following your registration in Unknown Level. Our course offerings for a session are always subject to sufficient enrollment, and so we need to know your ideal level as soon as possible.
Check back later or get in touch with us.
Our assessors regularly add availability throughout the registration period. Please check the availability again the following business day or email us at DEP@ustboniface.ca.
Check your confirmation email for the placement interview or get in touch with us.
When you initially booked your placement interview, a message was sent to you confirming your chosen date and time. Scroll down to the bottom of the message to cancel or reschedule the interview. If you prefer, you can contact us at DEP@ustboniface.ca for assistance.
No.
If you have no knowledge of the language, you do not need to book a placement interview. In this case, choose Beginner 1 (French) or Nivel 1 (Spanish) when completing your registration.
If you don’t know what level to enroll in, choose Unknown Level when completing the registration form.
Once you have registered and paid, you will be able to schedule a placement interview in order to assess your ideal level.
Yes.
If it has been more than two years since you last took a class with us, we recommend scheduling a placement interview as your level may have changed since then.
No.
If you took a class with us in the last two years, you can find which level to take in the instructor’s recommendation section of your final progress report. If you cannot find this recommendation, feel free to contact us at DEP@ustboniface.ca so we can look it up for you.
I want to know more about the courses
Both the Français oral and Español programs include courses for learners at all levels. If you are a true beginner, you can start with the first level. On the other hand, if you have had some exposure to the language but have never taken a course, you can request a placement interview when you register to determine which level is best for you.
If you are a true beginner in French, with no prior knowledge at all, you might consider taking our online self-directed study course Introduction to French, either before or at the start of the Beginner 1 course.
Our instructors come from a variety of French- or Spanish-speaking backgrounds. They hold suitable university degrees, many in Education, and have an excellent mastery of the language they teach. They have also undergone Continuing Education Division training in teaching a second language to adults, which comprises both methodology and a teaching practicum. Most of them have extensive teaching experience, either with the Continuing Education Division or elsewhere.
Our Français oral and Español classes are based on the conversational aspect of language learning; however, they do include a written component, though mainly as a support to oral communication. The student handbook contains written exercises, charts to illustrate grammar rules, and many examples of sentence structure, as well as exercises which are the basis for the spoken activities in class. In addition, the instructors use a whiteboard or other visual aids to help learners follow along.
The activities depend on the program and the level, but, generally, participants can expect short presentations of language concepts, accompanied by a variety of opportunities to put them into practice, including discussions, interviews with a partner, games, and small-group communication tasks.
None of our courses are credited on their own.
While the regular courses include many opportunities for oral interaction, they also provide structured lessons in grammar and vocabulary following an established curriculum. The conversation circles offer a more informal atmosphere, with an emphasis on spontaneous interaction.
The conversation circles offered in conjunction with the Français oral and Perfectionnement programs are reserved for learners who have recently completed a course in the relevant program.
The conversation circle Circulo de conversación avanzado is open to learners who have completed Nivel 8 or who have received a recommendation for that level based on a placement interview.
You will receive a progress report at the end of the session, including the instructor’s recommendation as to whether you are ready to proceed to the next level.
While both programs cover similar skills, Français oral teaches French for general purposes. However, French for Civil Servants focuses on vocabulary and structures useful in the public service. Additionally, students in French for Civil Servants courses are often studying French for career-related reasons.
Unfortunately, no. These courses are for students who are 16 years and older.
Other programming
We no longer offer programs for school-aged youth.
Zoom
In order to participate, you will need:
• A computer or device with a strong internet connection*
• A microphone and speakers (a headset will provide better sound than built-in equipment)
• A webcam (built in or plugged in) for the video connection
*If you are using a tablet rather than a desktop or laptop computer, we recommend downloading the Zoom app onto your device.
The Zoom meeting number, password and link will be sent to you in your course confirmation email. You will receive this email by the Thursday before the session starts. If you have never connected to a Zoom class before, we’d encourage you to watch this video: How Do I Join A Meeting.
If you have trouble connecting on the first day of classes, a member of our team will be available in the virtual classroom to help you from 5:30 to 6:15pm or from 8:30 to 9:15am for Saturday morning classes. If you cannot connect at all, please send an email to dep@ustboniface.ca with a phone number where we can reach you.
For more information, please contact us:
Continuing Education Division
Université de Saint-Boniface
200 De la Cathédrale Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA R2H 0H7
Phone: 204-235-4400
dep@ustboniface.ca
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